VOM/Animal Chiropractic

Dr. Bartley is a licensed doctor under the veterinary chiropractic law in the State of Colorado to treat horses and dogs. She received her Certified Veterinary Chiropractic degree in 2002. In the State of Colorado to perform chiropractic treatments on an animal, the Chiropractor or Veterinarian has to be licensed throught the State and graduated from a state approved course.

Why did Dr. Bartley become a VOM practitioner (animal chiropractor)?

VOM and Cold Laser (low level laser therapy-LLLT) gave Shadow, our black lab, three additional years of quality life without drugs after he had been diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy (spinal cord injury from trauma.)

The first sign of a problem was Shadow’s refusal to jump into the back of our SUV even though he obviously wanted to go for a ride. He then started stumbling when he walked. Never was there a change in his affection or love of life to indicate pain. Yet with these changes, we made a trip to our vet. The diagnosis/prognosis was devastating. The veterinarian said the initial cause was probably a sprain/strained low back. The vet determined Shadow had approximately 3 months before becoming paralyzed. As a human chiropractor, I felt there had to be more than drugs and a short life of pain for Shadow. That’s when I became a VOM (Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation) and have been witnessing extraordinary healing since.

What is V.O.M.? It is NOT manual adjusting.

It is an effective, drug-free way to restore joint mobility and normal nerve communication. VOM is a method of treatment with a high success rate of over 90% to manage back, disc injuries, etc. A treatment schedule is specialized for each patient and usually consists of five to seven treatments over a month.

Long-standing spinal problems can become visible years after the initial injury causing bone changes seen on x-rays. These changes indicate inflammation and pain. VOM reveals these problems long before they become evident on x-rays as well as corrects or treats them. Often when the spine cannot move, this problem generates pain AND shuts down or reduces the nerve’s communication. Even this slight impingement on the spinal cord or the nerve roots affects the organs of our dogs that these nerves supply. For example, reduced function of nerve supply to the colon could result in irritable bowel syndrome.

Primarily, VOM is used to treat spinal disorders such as degenerative myelopathy (like Shadow’s), Wobbler’s disease (instability between several adjacent neck vertebrae), hip dysplasia, and disc disease. It is also effective in addressing visceral diseases, such as thyroid disease, as well as performance and behavioral problems. However, the potential to prevent these conditions as well as treat them is exciting.

What is Cold Laser therapy?

In the world of humans, Cold Laser is utilized in treating 95% of my patients. Our office uses a FDA approved class IIa laser. These do not generate heat, therefore, do not cause cellular damage. Cold Laser frequency specific therapy doesresult in the restoration of normal cell function and enhances the body’s healing processes without adversely affecting normally functioning cells. In addition to the short and long term effects of pain reduction and healing, Cold Laser stimulates the immune response and improves lymphatic drainage. (more information under "Services/Cold Laser")

By combining the 91-93% success rate of VOM and the healing effects of Cold Laser therapy, we are providing to our animal companions:

Please feel free to contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment to see if VOM and/or Cold Laser Therapy is right for your animal. We have a Veterinarian affiliate available for consultations.